Everything I Hate About You
by Bee Stella
Summary: A little of what I think Should have happened after Fang left.
1. Chapter 1

**This story is set nine years after Fang left, with the ages being Angel-15, Gazzy-18, Nudge-21, Iggy-24, Max-24, and Fang-24.**

_Max_

I rolled over in bed, my hand slamming down on the source of noise. Oops, there goes another alarm clock. I sighed as I slipped out of bed, unplugging the broken device. I tossed it to the alarm clock grave yard in the corner of my room. I was going to have to get another one if I was going to be on time for work tomorrow.

Work wasn't bad. It didn't require a degree, so anyone who passed the physical fitness test was a potential employee. Oh joy. Although that probably explains why I got the job. I worked at a juvenile correction facility. Hold the irony please.

I slouched off to the bathroom to brush my teeth, grabbing my uniform on the way. I actually got some laughs on the job. Some of the stuff these kids come up with is amazing. I mean, they must have a lot of time to perfect the art of insulting, since they are behind bars. I have also gained some skills while working at my job. I learned to laugh internally, because you can't not laugh at some of the stuff the kids say. I was also better at the job than most of the long time employees. That was more of me being awesome at handing crap back to them on a silver platter though. Some other kids remind me of myself, and it gets me wondering about what made them like me. Broken.

* * *

_Nudge_

A girl stumbled over the threshold of her boarding house, her short brown curls floating in disarray around her head like a chaotic halo. "God Monique, this has to beat the record." Another girl, Lisa, came and put Nudges arm over her shoulder. "I think you beat Pete's. He only lasted until six before he came crawling home." Nudge giggled. "What time did you leave?"

"I left at one, the _first _time the cops broke it up."

"Nothing fun happened before one though."

"That's because most people weren't drunk before one. When did you leave anyway?"

"I think I left at five, and then a bunch of people from Lacey's went over to Denny's." Lacey's was the local bar the members of the house slacked at. Lisa deposited Nudge in their room. "You puke on any of my things and you will wake up underneath a tombstone with Monique all over it." Nudge mumbled something about cranky anti-party animals and then passed out.

* * *

_Iggy_

Iggy was sprawled across the couch, sleeping in the same clothes he had on yesterday. A woman came over to him, poking his nose. "Ella, stop." He commanded in mock anger. She pulled him to his feet. "You can't sleep all day, besides I want breakfast." He chuckled pulling his girlfriend to the kitchen. "What do you want?"

"Scrambled eggs of course," Iggy opened a cupboard feeling for the frying pan. "Hey, did you reorganize the kitchen again?"

"No, the frying pan's in the dishwasher." He moved over to the dishwasher, reaching inside for the familiar weathered handle. "Still can't find it," he complained. "I put it on the bottom shelf."

"It's almost like you don't know I'm blind." He complained as he placed the pan on the stove. "You certainly don't act like it." She laughed as she wrapped her arms around his waist. "Love you." Ella muffled into his back. "Love you too."

* * *

_Angel and The Gasman _

Gazzy laughed as his little sister jumped on his bed attempting to wake him up. "I'm awake Angel."

"Come on we're going to be late for school." She whined as she dragged him out of bed.

"I'm heartbroken." She smiled as he grabbed a pair of fresh jeans and headed toward the bathroom. "Don't take to long."

"Me? Never."

Angel laughed as she sat on his bed, mentally noting that he needed to clean his room. She had lived with Gazzy for a year now, and she loved it. Nobody had really done well after Max left, and for a while they had all crashed at Jeb's, though none of them stayed any longer than was legal. After Gazzy turned sixteen he moved in with Iggy, and Angel just automatically went with him. She had changed a lot since the voices had disappeared. No more weird predictions, strange commands, or twisted directions. Life was good, until Angel thought about the others. She saw Iggy every once in a while, and she knew Nudge had fallen off the cliff of sobriety, but Max and Fang were a big mystery.

She was thinking about disobeying the one rule that Gazzy had made. She wanted to unfold her wings, all fourteen feet of them, and just _fly._ But she knew it would ruin everything they had built. It was so nice not being chased all the time, not doing cryptic things, making people angry and hurt…She was better now. It was just so tempting though, she could picture herself doing it. She could almost hear the rush of the wind in her ears. She would go to find Max, she would make everything better. "Angel." She glanced up to see Gazzy looking at her with a strained expression. He could always tell when she was thinking about them. "I miss them…" He came and put his arms around her, pulling her into his lap. "I miss them too."

* * *

_Fang_

"Hey, Damon!" Fang slammed the door to his apartment, running down the steps into the bar he lived above. "What Jack?" he asked while trying to look like he was in a hurry. That seemed to be the thing with him lately trying to look something. Trying to look happy, trying to look normal, trying to look like he hadn't been slowly rotting from the inside out for nine years.

"Your rents late."

"I'll get it Jack, I found a job."

"This is the last time I let it slide. No more funny stuff Damon, or your out."

Fang escaped out the door before Jack could pester him about the rent. He didn't really have a job, but saying that to Jack wouldn't help. He knew the easy thing to do would be to just bartend at Lacey's, but since the first time he spotted Nudge there getting wasted, he kept to his apartment. **(A/N: Fang lives above Lacey's) **He had told everyone his name was Damon, Fang just seemed so conspicuous, and would have people asking questions he couldn't answer. Not to mention it didn't sound as good as it used to. Everything that she said sounded good. _No!_ He thought to himself. He needed to keep her out of his thoughts. It was the only way he wouldn't go crawling back. He refused to go back to the one person on this planet he loved.


	2. Chapter 2

_Max_

I got home in a bad mood. My boss was being a complete wad today. I mean, he's a wad everyday, but I think he bucked up something extra special for me to share with him. He kept yapping at me all day long. _Blahblahblah don't harass the inmates blahblahblah late again blahblahblah last chance Ride blahblahblah._ Not like that isn't his normal behavior, but he usually pulls me into his office for me to tune him out, but today he did it in front of everyone, and it bothered me to no end. How he could do something so degrading is beyond me. It was almost like the way Fang used to…NO! I couldn't do this, not after so long. Not after every wall I'd built to keep him out. This wasn't going to happen! I wouldn't let it. I needed a drink.

_Fang_

I was slipping down the stairs, trying very hard not to be noticed by the bartender to which I owed money. Luckily for me Jack was busy with some woman who was hunched over something strong and straight. She didn't say anything, but I saw her head turn slightly when Jack's eyes focused on me. I didn't pay the slightest attention to her; I was used to the stares from girls. I had grown up a lot since I left. I had gotten taller, if that's even possible, and took out my frustrations by pushing my body to its limits. The result was a completely ripped body. Needed to keep in shape somehow, since I refused to fly after I left. Something caught my attention with this one though. Her smell, the color of her hair, the stiffness in her shoulders…thunder boomed, sending down a sheet of rain, just as the glass of liquor shattered in her grip, raining shards on her and the floor. I heard her gasp, blood seeping through her closed fist. She slid out of her chair, obviously trying to get out before someone asked her a question. To bad Jack didn't care. "You okay miss?" he called after her as she yanked open the door. "I'm fine." she plowed out into the storm, the sudden downpour soaking her instantly. That voice, there was no mistaking it, especially when it was tense. "Hey Damon, where's my rent?"

"If you're just going to repeat the same thing every day, you should get a parrot." I shot at him, unintentionally being sharp. I didn't get to see his face before I burst through the door of the bar, doing a three-sixty. "Max!" I yelled, attracting stares from the few people hustling through the rain. I saw someone pause at the name, and start bolting down the street to the left of me. "Max!" she wasn't stopping. I started running after her, running as fast as my legs would carry me. I wasn't gaining any ground, and she was starting to disappear in the crowd. "Max!" I tried again, but it was lost in the sea of noise. Not knowing what else to do, I snuck into a dark alley, pulling my soaked shirt off. My wings snapped open, filling the small space with eighteen feet of pure black power. I pushed off the ground rising straight into the air. I was going to find her.

_Max_

I felt the tears coming as I ran, trying to escape from the man running after me. This could not be happening. I was so careful, I stopped every thought of him I ever had hard, never mention his name, I hadn't even gone near the rest of the flock. I had studiously kept to myself for nine years, hadn't even extended my wings since I moved into my apartment five years ago. Yet there he was, over six feet of dark glory, dragging my deepest thoughts and nightmares for the recesses of my mind. I needed to get out of here. I ran and ran until I hit the city limits, took off my jacket. Slowly I extended my wings, wincing as muscles warmed up after being held in tightly for so long. Wasting no time, I run pushing my wings down, trying to get air through them. After several minutes of shaky flying, I got the flow back, and poured on the speed, not really knowing where I was going, but I didn't notice much after the tears finally spilled. I shouldn't have been so worked up about just seeing him. The guy had ruined my life, turning me into such a coward that I couldn't even face my own family. I hated him, didn't need him. He was dead to me. _Dead_. I clenched my fists, and cried out when I realized I had sliced my hand wide open. Must have happened when I smashed that glass at the bar where I saw him. I needed to wrap that up, but as I looked around me, I discovered that I was in the middle of freaking no where. I sighed trying to broaden my view, hoping beyond the wildest hopes that I had seen anything here before. None of this was looking familiar…but I was feeling this eerie sense of déjà vu, telling me that I knew exactly where I was. The feeling didn't go away when I dropped to the ground, letting my wings cool of as the sun slowly disappeared behind the peak of a mountain. _Mountain_. I couldn't have possibly gone all the way to…these couldn't be the Rocky Mountains. I had suppressed any kind of memory that had anything to do with him; I shouldn't have been able to remember where the old house was at all. Yet here I was, stumbling around in the woods on a mountain. Now that I thought about it, I had known where I was going, I just couldn't bring myself to think it.

I was almost afraid to find the house, to let all those memories surface and take hold of me. The fear vanished when I walked out into the clearing and saw the house, and I couldn't deny the strong feeling of home that I felt. The house defiantly looked weathered, but I guess that's what happens when you leave something unattended for a decade. I flew up to the balcony, landing lightly on the worn floorboards.

Walking into the house was like stepping into a war zone. Some of the windows had blown out, letting in rain and leaves. Anything light was tossed around by the wind, leaving the whole house in disarray. The place where the couch had burned still left ugly black marks on the floor and ceiling, but the smoke smell was long since gone. I never did learn how it started, the fire. I was out with Fang. It seemed like everything bad during those last few months happened when me and Fang were off somewhere. I still didn't see that as a reason to leave me a sappy love letter saying that he would see me in twenty years. Did he not have any idea what a mess I was like after that, what it did to the kids? Did he know how much I was hurting, the pain hollowing me until I had to shove it into some long forgotten part of me, leaving me empty? Did he know that even when I desperately need someone to cry to, Dylan held his arms open, and I refused? Did he know how much I loved him? "Does he even know?" I whispered aloud as the tears that had gradually slowed before reared back to life, forcing me to my knees. "Does he know how much I love him?"

"Do you?" I sprang to my feet, spinning to face the cause of the entire mess. "Do you love me still?" I turned back around, not able to look him in the eye. "Do I still love you? Fang I will love you to the ends of the earth, but that doesn't change _jack! _Do you even realize what life was like for me when you left? Do you know how much it hurt when you told me that you were leaving in a_ letter_?" I heard the tears in my voice, hating myself for them. "Do you know that I hate you for making me love you so much it hurts?"

"Max…" He sounded strangled. Good. I turned to face him. "Do you even know?" I asked again, wanting to see the pain in his eyes. "Do you have any idea?"

"I thought I was doing the right thing, it was the only way I knew to protect you."

"Protect me?" My voice was rising steadily, the anger overshadowing the tears. "You didn't protect me from anything, you only hurt me more."

"You knew you couldn't focus as a leader with me around."

"I couldn't focus anyway. I couldn't even be around them without bursting into tears. I had no idea how to handle anything after that, my whole life was upside-down. And it was all your fault!" I screamed, getting up in his face. "It's not my fault, I was trying to help you." I didn't say anything for a minute, just stared into the eyes that portrayed no emotion. The I did something that shocked us both; I gripped my head in my hands and flat-out screeched for about thirty whole seconds before I sunk to the floor, once again reduced to heaving sobs. "I hate you!" I managed, missing the tone I was going for, sounding more breathless than angry. "I hate me too." Why couldn't he just act like I expected him to? Dealing with him would have been so much easier if he was angry back. "Why aren't you mad? Get angry!" I stood, shoving him backwards. "Come on, get mad!"

"No." I let out another wordless scream, shoving him back again. "Come on yell back!"

"No."

"Yell at me, scream and say you hate me! Tell me you wish I was dead, that you don't love me, do it!"

"No." I snarled, and ran at him, fists raised, hitting his stomach his chest, all the while challenging him to fight back. He showed no pain on his face, so I wound up my arm aiming right for his nose.

_Fang _

When Max's fist came flying at my face, my reaction came automatically. Almost without thinking, I had grabbed her wrist, twisted it behind her, and flattened her onto the nearest wall. "Let me go." Her voice was low and dangerous, she obviously didn't like that her face was mashed up into the drywall. "Not until you listen." I spun her around, pinning both her wrist above her head. The other grabbed her chin, forcing her to look at me. "I did that for you. It wasn't working with me there and you know it."

"I don't know anything." I sighed, becoming frustrated, she hadn't changed at all. "All I know is you left me, left the flock, and I can't trust you anymore." I growled, feeling the anger ooze through the cracks of my armor. "Don't you ever say that," my voice, usually calm and cold, sounded harsh and strong, even to me. "You know me, the flock knows me-"

"You're wrong, Fang. I don't know you. I never knew you. I don't know the Fang that used to get into fights with erasers, I don't know the Fang that sulked around the house, I didn't know the Fang in that letter, I'm not even sure I know the Fang that kissed me all those times. I certainly don't know this Fang, so would you like to explain to me how I can ever trust you?"

"You know me, and I'll prove it." An almost pained look came into her eyes as I slowly leaned towards her. I hesitated right before my lips touched hers, unsure of how the feeling of them under mine would effect me. Well, if I was being perfectly honest, I wasn't sure I could control myself from giving into the kiss. I didn't really have a choice, because before I made a move, I felt water run between my fingers, slide down my forearms. Max was crying again , letting the tears slide down her cheeks. My resolve crumbled, but instead of moving my lips that last centimeter to hers, I wrapped her in a hug, freeing her hands as her head fit into the hollow of my throat, where it belonged. "It hurt so much…Even through you said you loved me in the letter, it felt like you didn't want me anymore. I wanted to hate you, because loving you left like I was clinging to something that didn't exist. You were something unattainable, so far away from me that even thinking about you left me with a dull ache." Her voice was so soft, if it hadn't been completely silent, I wouldn't have heard it. "Then I saw you again, and it felt you were ruining everything I had worked for, every ounce of normality I had obtained. I ran, hoping you would just disappear, and I would bury that day with all my other memories of you, locked into some dark part of me I'm scared to enter. I knew that if I turned and went back, I would be opening myself to all that pain and misery again, and I couldn't, and I'm so sorry for that…I'm sorry I wasn't strong enough." Her voice faded out, and I stood there trying to process everything she said. She lifted her head, her mouth next to my ear. "I still love you, even if it hurts me." She let out a deflated breath and started to pull away. "Max," she looked up, and my lips captured hers. At first she was unresponsive, standing stiffly long enough to get me nervous, but then her hands cupped my cheeks, pulling me closer.

Max

I felt my tears spill as I pressed myself closer to him, letting my instincts take over. I knew this was going to hurt me later, but I didn't care, because the only thing that mattered as my world fell apart was that Fang was holding me, and he wasn't letting go.


	3. Chapter 3

_Max_

Saying kissing Fang would hurt after was correct, and painfully understated. As soon as I left him I felt revealed in some way, exposed to the whole world while my mind warred over different emotions vying for dominance. The two emotions were happiness and anger, or from a different angle, hate and love. I had spilled my entire load of reasons for avoiding Fang to him, had kissed him, had let him into my head for the first time in years, and instead of feeling the weight of my suppressed pain hefted from my shoulders, I felt sick and bare. I knew that seeing Fang would change my life, but I had always imagined our reunion in the cave where we met the hawks, had learned to truly fly, to be easy and effortless. Now I knew that after a separation like ours, it would be painful and hard, it would take time to heal the wounds seeing each other had opened.

I allowed these thoughts to fill my head as I sat on the balcony of my apartment, feeling the freezing November air whip through my hair, now fading back to a dull brown after lightening in the summer sun. Everything will go back to normal now, I'll forget I ever saw Fang, ever let him hold me again. He was back to the tiny little corner of my brain where the monsters still ran the show. Who was I kidding; nothing'll ever be the same.

_Fang_

I sat on the roof of the bar, leaning into the wind. "She's really confused right now, you just have to give her time." I grunted, I knew all this. Max was just being a stubborn ox, like she always is. _You're wrong, Fang. I don't know you. I never knew you. I don't know the Fang that used to get into fights with erasers, I don't know the Fang that sulked around the house, I didn't know the Fang in that letter, I'm not even sure I know the Fang that kissed me all those times. I certainly don't know this Fang, so would you like to explain to me how I can ever trust you?_ She was right, she didn't know me, I didn't really even know her much either, we had both changed almost past recognition. How were we supposed to trust each other now? "Do you think she would react any other way?"

"Shut up Angel." _You know I'm right. Could you really expect her to welcome you back without a second's hesitation? She's a fighter, and she is going to fight this with all she has. _"Just wish she would make my life a little easier." _You knew from the moment you wrote that letter it wasn't going to be easy. _"A guy can dream."

_Angel_

I sighed as Fang slipped back into his window, leaving me alone on the roof of his apartment. Everything was a mess again, all because Fang was expecting way more of Max than there was. She was just suppressing his memory enough to sleep, but he was there in her dreams. He wanted the old Max, the _whole _Max, and she wasn't there anymore. He was going to have to pick up the pieces.

_Iggy_

"Ella, there's someone at the door." She pulled my fingers to her face, tracing them against her furrowed brow. "There was no knock." I tilted my head to the side, waiting. _Tap tap tap_. "Gotcha." She giggled, and I heard her light footsteps flitter toward the door. "Oh!" Her surprised squeal made me look up, though I wasn't really looking at anything. "Ella?" I felt the wave of air as she closed the door, and another set of heavier footsteps sauntered at me. "Gazzy! I'd know that fake swagger anywhere. Did you get the stuff?"

"Naw man, I didn't get the fuse, bills and all."

"You could always move back in with me."

"Wouldn't want to invade the love nest, Angel is still semi-innocent." Ella laughed, unaffected by his reasoning. "So what brings you to my humble abode, if you didn't come with explosives?" He chuckled, and I heard the rustle of fabric as he shook his head. "Angel's worrying me, she's been out real late every night, and's distant when she is home. I know I never enforced a curfew or anything, but she's got me all nervous." I had the sneaking suspicion I knew where she was going. "Fang showed up a couple of days ago." I heard Gazzy's sharp intake of breath. "You think she's..." I nodded, knowing that Angel would want to see Fang more than anyone, except maybe Max. "Did he say where he was?"

"No, but he said he's in town, so it shouldn't be hard to find him."

_Nudge_

"Monique, the phones for you!" Pete's voice wafted through the layer of sleep, raising a whine from my lips. "C'mon Mo, the lady says it's important."

"Did this 'lady' give a name?"

"Nope, just said put Monique on the phone, and then added a little heavy breathing, so I immediately decided that it would be best for you to handle the situation."

"Go away Pete." I rolled off the couch, covering my face as he chucked the phone at me. "Hello?"

"Is this Monique?"

"Yea, why?"

"I liked your old name better." I froze, who the heck was this? It almost sounded like…"Angel?"

"Duh, Nudge, who else would say something cryptic like that?"

"You never know with this family." I let out a dark laugh. "Not much family stuff happening anymore though, huh?"

"How'd you like to fix that?"

"Still the devious plotting type I see."

"Gotta keep sharp somehow. Meet me in front of Lacey's; I presume you know where that is?"

"Yea, I know, see ya there." I dropped the phone back in it's cradle, a smile threatening to split my face in half.

**I know almost everyone on here who has a story says this, but please review, I am begging!**


	4. Chapter 4

**This Post Has Been Re-edited.**

_Max_

I was in the process of soaking away all my problems in the shower when I heard someone breaking into my house. Now I don't know about anyone else, but being  
naked and in the shower while some creeper is breaking into your house usually  
means the freak-out o' meter goes up into the red. Well until said little  
creeper broke into my mind.

_Max! Get out here!_ I jumped, lost my footing, and smashed my head against the wall of the shower. "Angel?" I shouted, prodding the cut on my forehead, blood thinning and turning pink  
before disappearing down the drain. _Hurry!_

Well. This was just swell. I worked _nine years_ to get away from this, and it's was all coming back in the span of two days?  
What next, Iggy and The Gasman blowing up my apartment?

I spoke too soon.

Two big blasts practically ruptured my ear drums, and several smaller booms  
made me flinch as I grabbed my towel and attempted to dry my self off, staying  
clear of the gash on my forehead. "Angel!" My voice sounded muffled  
to my ears as I stumbled out into the hallway, looking at the remains of my  
home. "Angel!" I clutched my towel tighter, noticing the breeze  
coming in through the new window in my outside wall. I looked out into the  
street, and could almost make out a storm cloud moving in...storm clouds with  
metallic-looking wings. The realization hit me a second to late, when bullets  
started whizzing past my head. The only thing going through my mind was, _While I was in the_ shower? _REALLY?_, and as I raced to my room and  
pulled on jeans and a black tee-shirt, I heard Angel stumble into my bedroom.  
"We have to hurry; they ambushed me on my way to meet Nudge. We have to go  
get her." I sighed, pulled off my shirt, ripped holes big enough to let my  
wings out, and threw it back on. "Let's go." I grabbed the full-length  
mirror off my wall, thanking God for the sturdy wooden frame behind the glass,  
and plowed into my living room. Bullets shattered the glass, sending shards  
raining to the floor. "My landlord is so kicking me out." I muttered,  
and Angel let out a panicked giggle. "Just like old times, huh?" _Yea, just like old times._


	5. Chapter 5

_Angel_

Maxs mind was a mess. All kinds of emotions were skittering around in her head, rolling like a sea and making her nauseous.  
Can you sift through my brains a little quieter? Im trying to concentrate  
on not bolting for my life. _Im not  
sifting, but I can still get a basic read-off of your emotions. Can you be  
angry somewhere else? Youre making my head hurt._ Oh, Im sorry. Maybe I  
should go and you can handle all those Flyboys on your own. _Its not just me. They could still get Nudge  
or Iggy and Ella, or Gazzy, or Fang. Are you willing to let them handle this  
alone?_ Why is Ella with Iggy? Where is my mom? Wheres Jeb and Dylan?  
Theres too many people for me to save! _Youve  
saved more than this._ Not without being in some kind of life threatening  
situation that usually leaves me with a painful injury to remind me every day  
that I think with my heart instead of my head! Thats the whole reason Im  
always in these stupid messes! Because I cant make decisions that are good for  
the flock, but what my messed up mutant feelings are telling me to do! Dont  
you get that! She was screaming now, and several people on the sidewalk  
looked up at us. The usual screaming and cell phone camera tones sounded, but  
she was too deep in her mantra to notice. I however was itching to be away from  
the stares of the pedestrians with nothing better to do than snap pictures of  
every oddity that passed. I grimaced as the huge flash of a newspaper camera  
blinded me. Lets just go, before we become the town source of entertainment.  
Max smirked. What, not the attention hog anymore? _Not really. Im going to check on Gazzy and Iggy. You get Fang and  
Nudge._ Now I remember why I always thought of you as a plotter. She  
muttered, and took off into the sky.

_Nudge_

Bullets shattered through the windows of the bar, and I slithered to the floor, hissing as glass embedded itself into my thigh. I heard a door slam, and footsteps  
pound down a set of stairs. Nudge! A horribly familiar voice called out my  
old name, That familiar voice that had been a source of comfort and family for  
the first twelve years of my life.

Hands lifted me from the floor, and someone shook me, rattling my brain. Fang? More bullets whizzed past me as Fang yanked me behind the bar. Hold still, this is  
gunna hurt. He took hold of the glass, ripping it from my leg. I bit down on  
my tongue, slowly letting my breath out. He took one of the bar rags and bound  
my leg. We need to get out of here. Maxs head appeared over the counter. Her  
face was white, her jaw clenched. Are you- Fang started, Im fine. She  
turned and ran back up the stairs. Whats up there? I asked as Fang helped me  
stand. My apartment. I wrapped my arm around his shoulders, and we sprinted  
for the stairs. Did you see...? I left the question open, hoping he wouldnt  
know I was talking about me. Dont feel bad, Ive had my fair share of  
hammered and smashed moments.

_Max_

My breathing was ragged as I tried to get the glass out of my side. It was huge, big enough that I couldnt cover it with my tee-shirt, so I had hid on the  
opposite side of he bar, hoping Nudge and Fang wouldnt notice. I had to get it  
out before-Max! I gave one final big yank, trying to get it out before they  
saw, but all it did was make me cry out. The glass was still embedded at least  
six inches into my skin, but the more I pulled, the worse it hurt. His face  
paled when he saw me, but he immediately went to work. I heard him yelling at  
Nudge to get a warm wet towel. _What, am I  
giving birth?_ I thought sarcastically, but all thought processes were  
disrupted when he ripped a large portion of my shirt, wrapped it around the  
glass, and pulled it all out. I whimpered, arching my back into the pain. Here,  
Nudge had reappeared, but my pain-fogged brain barely registered this. Fang  
leaned on the cut with the towel, and it soaked up blood almost instantly,  
turning it blood red. My labored breathing filled my ears, and my vision became  
spotty. I- blood forced its way up my throat, chocking me off mid-sentence.  
Nudge was crying as she moved to hold my head up, trying to clear my airway.  
Fang turned and grabbed a stack of books off the coffee table, handing them to  
Nudge. Put these behind her head and come take my place. She slid the books  
underneath my head, and her hands replaced Fangs, renewing the pressure. Fang  
disappeared into the kitchen, and came back out with a needle and thread. Move  
the towel and pinch the skin together. She nodded, and he slid the needle into  
my skin, I felt big tears streaming out the corners of my eyes, my back bucked  
up from the floor. Another set of hands moved the books from underneath my  
head, and placed it in their lap. Ella... I gurgled, sounding like I had a  
mouth full of water. Shh, its alright. Dont talk. I ignored her. Wheres  
mom? she was quiet, and tears welled in her eyes. Iggy came and sat behind  
her, shaking his head. I sobbed, and it quickly turned into coughing. Shh. Ive  
got you Max. She stroked my hair, and I felt the warm drip of her tears on my  
forehead. Done. Fang stood, scooping me up into his arms. We cant stay here  
Fang. Angels voice came from across the room. We cant move either. Well  
just have to be on our guard. He opened a door, and I found myself lying on a  
soft black comforter. The door closed with a soft click, and the mattress  
dipped to the side. Its alright, Max, Im here. Fang pulled me into his lap,  
rocking me very slowly. He wiped tears from my face, and continued the soft cooing,  
telling me it was alright. I didnt know why he was, until I realized I was  
sobbing. I tried to hold them in, but all that did was give me the hiccups,  
sending shooting pain from my side straight up to the crown of my head. Ow,  
my voice came out as a pained cry, making Fang wince. When the hiccups ceased,  
he set me on the bed. Hang on, he stood, leaving the room, and came back with  
a sweating glass of water and a bottle of medicine, with a sterile package. Whered  
you get morphine? I asked half-heartedly, not really caring. Youre mom. He  
ripped open the package, pulling out an empty syringe, and plunged the top into  
the bottle of morphine. When he filled it to the amount on the bottle, he added  
a little more, knowing that our bodies would burn it off much faster than  
humans. He handed me the water, and pulled a rubber band over my other arm,  
making the veins stick out. I handed him back the water and closed my eyes. I  
felt the sharp, hot pain of the needle, the sticky surface of a band aid, and  
then Fang stretched out next to me surrounding me in instant warmth. Go to  
sleep. He whispered, and then kissed my temple. And then I drifted.

**I am so sorry this took so long, but I had writers block again, and I was only coming up with little bits at a time. But the writers muse has bitten me on the butt, and more than  
half of this spewed out of my fingertips in like twenty minutes. Hopefully the  
next chapter will be up soon, like maybe the next two weeks, but no guarantees.  
Again I am sorry for being so late, and for any spelling or grammar mistakes, or if it just plain sucks.**


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